Google Photos gets data-saving Express backup option

This option compresses photos to 3MP and videos to standard definition before uploading.

Google has also included an option to cap daily mobile data usage in the app.

Google Photos has made life a lot easier for many people, allowing users to painlessly save their memories to the cloud. You need plenty of data to make the most of these services though, but Google has a new solution for you.

The company has added an Express backup option to Google Photos, 91Mobiles reported (via XDA-Developers), allowing users to back up their photos and videos with less data than ever before.

The Express option is a third tier of backup mode, sitting below the original quality and high quality options. Toggle it and your photos will be compressed to 3MP, while videos will be downscaled to standard definition before uploading. By comparison, the high quality option compresses your snaps to 16MP and supports a maximum video resolution of 1080p.

This change means that users don’t need to spend nearly as much data to save their memories. This is especially important for regions with expensive mobile data rates and poor Wi-Fi connectivity.

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Speaking of mobile data, Google Photos has also gained an option to cap the amount of mobile data used by the app. The cap can be as low as 5MB, allowing those with entry-level mobile data plans to have the peace of mind that Google Photos won’t decimate their cap. Of course, this setting won’t apply if you’ve got Wi-Fi access.

These features are rolling out to a small number of Indian users at first, according to 91Mobiles. Hopefully we see a wider launch soon, because loads of markets would benefit from the Express option.

Are you seeing the Express option in Google Photos? Let us know in the comments!